


Thank You

by abluecanarylite



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Angst, F/F, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-11
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-04 23:08:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/716132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abluecanarylite/pseuds/abluecanarylite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amanda knows she's going to die with a life unfulfilled.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thank You

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this one after the season final of Buffy, and after I finished writing "Lost Poetry", so you might see a few references from that fic. I wasn't sure if it should go into that storyline or not, so I made it a separate story.
> 
> I just realized I've never posted this anywhere either. Huh...

The silence of the bus broke with the most sincere words anyone had heard in ages. “I’m going to die.”

Dawn looked over at Amanda, finding her friend staring out the bus window. “What?”

Part of the bus turned toward the back, staring at them as if they were speaking gospel. “Can’t you feel it? It’s hanging in the air like Willow’s incense. It reminds me that I’ve never been kissed, never been on a date. It whispers in my ear, telling me all about the towns I’d see and people I’d meet if I just got off this bus and started walking toward LA. It laughs at me, mocking me, saying things like ‘you’ve only ever been a girl in band’ ‘you’ve only ever been _Plain Amanda_ ’.” Amanda paused, looking over at Dawn as if she were the only person on the bus. “But I’m not. I’m not just that girl everyone looked over in class. I’m not alone anymore – I’ve got you. I’ve got a billion other girls out there just like me with this blood in them bubbling in their veins, calling out to some force out there saying ‘hey, I can take what you throw at me and I’m going to stand here and laugh at you’. You showed me that, you showed that I’m not alone… that I’m not a nobody.”

There were several girls in the seats a head of them nodding and wiping tears out of their eyes. Dawn sat speechless, clutching her sword carrying case in her hands tightly. “That doesn’t mean your going to die…”

Those silvery blue eyes lit up, “But that’s the thing, Dawn, it doesn’t matter. If I go today, if I don’t make it out of there alive – it only means I went knowing I was somebody. If you hadn’t told me I was a Potential, I’d be dead already. Or I’d be out in LA with my parents in another silly high school playing in another band class. I would never know that I’m something special. I’m a slayer-in-training, I’m a fighter, I’m one of the good guys.” Tears formed in her eyes and Dawn felt her throat grow tight. “Dawn… thank you. Thank you so much. You… made me… a better person.”

It was sudden, like a cool breeze blowing through the bus windows; Amanda leaned over and briefly grazed her lips over Dawn’s, dry skin kissing soft. If any of the other potentials showed any sign of disapproval, she didn’t give a hint of care. But it was apparent it wouldn’t have mattered.

“I…” Dawn swallowed and felt her face heat up as she looked down at her lap. “When I… when we… get to LA…” the rush of tears came unexpectedly, as if something was telling her there would be no LA, there would be no more chess games, no more late nights, no more adventures… it hurt. It wasn’t a surprise when all that realization turned to anger. “NO!”

The girls who were still listening jumped – the outburst had even caught everyone else’s attention - but Dawn shook, not caring. “No. When we - _we_ \- get to LA, we’re going to get tattoos and matching piercings.” She laughed through her tears; as if this was the happiest thing she could think of. “We’ll go to all the clubs and sweet talk our way past bouncers and dance till the janitors are telling us to go home. We’ll go see your folks and we’ll go to same school Buffy went to! You… you can start a band! And I’ll, I’ll sing in it with you! We’ll tour California, and when we get big we’ll only play rowdy bars so Spike can come watch and rile up the crowd!” Desperation dripped off every other word now, a dream unweaving before her eyes. “You’ll have me, and I’ll have you and we’ll be best friends forever cause I’ve never had a best friend. Everyone I ever cared about dies and that’s going to _stop_!”

Gentle arms wrapped around Dawn, shaking as she sobbed loudly. No one looked back at them, no one dared. If they did, they’d see another ripped up future scattering about in the back seats, the window snatching at them as if to carry them back up to the stars.

An unusually strong voice stilled the tears wetting Amanda’s shirt, as she watched Sunnydale streak by. “I’ll see you in LA, Muffet.”

“I know, Wendy.”


End file.
